Proof of the death of the railroad employee is required with all applications for benefits as the survivor of the railroad employee. If the death occurred inside the United States, the best proofs of death include:

a certified photocopy of the death certificate, which can be secured from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or Department of Health for the city, county, or state in which the death occurred;

a signed statement of death by the funeral director on RRB Form G-273a or SSA's Forms SSA-721 or SSA-2872;

a copy of the coroner's report of death; or

the verdict of the coroner's jury of the state or community where death occurred.

A certified photocopy of any of the documents described above is acceptable. If you are unable to obtain any of these documents, contact the nearest field office of the RRB. The people there will be glad to assist you.

If the death occurred outside the United States, the proof of death can include:

a report of death from a United States consul, or other agent of the State Department, bearing the signature and official seal (you can secure this report from the United States consulate or embassy);

To view and download PDF documents, you need the free Acrobat Reader. We recommend using the latest version. Viewers with visual disabilities can go to Adobe's Access Website for tools and information that will help make PDF files accessible.

To view and download PDF documents, you need the free Acrobat Reader. We recommend using the latest version. Viewers with visual disabilities can go to Adobe's Access Website for tools and information that will help make PDF files accessible.